Housework - how long would this take you?

[EllieQ]

I’ve been struggling with keeping on top
of housework and laundry recently, despite only having one child, a husband who does his share of day to day stuff, and a fairly small house.

Yesterday DH took DD out for the afternoon, and I got the following done:

• Went to corner shop to get milk (the only time I left the house yesterday).
• Sorted a load of laundry and put it on.
• Ironed DD’s Brownies uniform (a quick iron only).
• Hand washed DD’s dance uniform (all hand wash only!)
• Sorted through a pile of paper on the dining room (ten minutes?)
• Hoovered the bathroom (small) and one bedroom (medium sized)
• Various bits of tidying as I went around.

They were out for 2.5 hours. If that was you, would you have got more/ less/ the same amount done in that time?

I had 5-10 minutes break between each job, which didn’t feel like much,and I feel that I should have got more done.

Weekends are really the only time I have to get on with housework. I work part time but over five days, so I don’t have a day ‘off’ to myself. DH WFH most days, and as he works in the dining room (no spare room), I can’t do much housework when we get home after school as it would disturb him (plus I often don’t feel like doing anything after a day at work!). I also WFH half the week, and try to get a load of laundry done at least on those days, but DH has an amazing talent of getting in the way when I’m trying to get stuff done during my tea break or lunch break 🙄

It’s really stressing me out, and I can’t tell if I should be doing more in the time I have, so I wanted a reality check from MN!

All hand wash items can be machine washed. Nothing needs ironing if you hang it to dry. Always keep uht milk in a cupboard for emergencies. Kids do hovering for pocket money.

In theory I could do all that in under an hour but the reality is that often I start something, get distracted ... day dream, make a coffee, check Mumsnet, check my phone, find some long lost photo to reminisce over ... I've had the morning at home today, leaving for work in half an hour ... I have done, a load of washing, ironed a few bits, cleaned one bathroom, made bed, sorted out some Christmas bits, idly looked at paperwork, half heartedly cleaned the kitchen ... washed & dried my hair and spent most of the morning on Mumsnet .

Sometimes I am strict with myself, set a timer for half an hour, don't check phone and I can easily get loads done in that time ... if I can be bothered.

Wow, more interest that I expected in my boring housework question! A few points:

• I have a chronic disease that does affect my energy levels, hence pacing myself with breaks. Should have put that in the OP. Probably didn’t take a break between each job, thinking about it, but there were maybe three or four breaks.
• The shop is five minutes away, and I went to get the milk as I wouldn’t have been out of the house all day otherwise.
• The 2.5 was on top of other ‘daily’ stuff, so I’d done a load of laundry earlier, spent some time with DD sorting/ tidying toys (pre-Xmas sort-out), some washing up from last night, that kind of thing.
• The tidying was just tidying away anything that had been left out as I went round doing other stuff, which seemed to involve lots of going up and down stairs.
• Our stairs open off the dining room, so if DH is working, I try not to go through to go upstairs. Plus I know that if I left DD watching tv while I did something upstairs, she’d inevitably need something and go and ask DH (she’s 6).
• The dance uniform is £50 in all, so I’m not risking it in the washing machine

Interesting that a few people have said that they’d have done the work in a different order. I thought it was a logical order - brief trip out the house, laundry & ironing, quick sitting down job (paperwork), then hoovering.

Appreciate everyone’s comments - they’re very helpful.

I'd put the dance uniform on 30C delicates with the Brownie uniform, it should be fine.

@supremelybaffled

Lol at the housework fairies saying they'd have got that done in an hour (and probably had time to read the Sunday Times and make their Christmas cake as well).

That would have taken me around the same time as you OP - possibly longer as I loathe housework and would have had longer gaps in between.

If you would have taken longer breaks in between and managed it all in 2 hours how is it ‘lol’ for someone to say they’d manage it in an hour?

Realistically it isn’t 2.5 hours worth of work but of course it will take longer if you have long breaks between each job.

Also at age 6 I think you can leave her watching television or playing and say ‘mummy is doing x job don’t go in to daddy as he is busy working. If you need anything come and find me.’ She shouldn’t need constant supervision at six really - maybe you could work more independent play/quiet time so you’re not trying to get everything done and once and being overwhelmed.

People who don’t enjoy housework get it done as fast as possible so it’s over and we can get on with more interesting things. Lol.

But I must tell DH that my efficiency motivated by wanting to read and drink coffee instead of dusting makes me a housework fairy, that’s amazing

No way would it have taken me 2.5 hours. I'm very efficient at housework as I don't want to waste a whole day doing it so have mastered it to get it done thoroughly and quickly. I also Hoover and mop floors daily so doesn't need a huge clean on my weekly housework session.

Honestly, I'd have had all that done in under an hour, and then sat and put my feet up for the other 1.5 hours. I also have a chronic health condition that causes fatigue (and joint problems).

Washing is a non-job, it takes seconds to bung something in the machine, twiddle a dial and press a button! Taking it out of the machine and hanging it over the airer takes longer, but I'm not sure if you actually did that. Handwashing one single dance uniform would also only take a few minutes max.

In 2.5 hours, I could hoover/mop my entire 5 bed house, plus clean the bathrooms and the kitchen, and still have time to put a load of washing on, and have a sit down with a cup of tea! Despite health conditions, I'd probably take a 10 minute break after 1-1.5 hours, not every few minutes!

I'd also do washing and cleaning whilst supervising one single 6 year old, no problem. If your 6 year old is not to disturb your DH when working, then tell her that - she's plenty old enough to understand!

I would have washed the dance stuff in the hand wash on the machine.

Ironing a brownie uniform I would not have done. Hung up properly and folded.

Putting washing in the machine even with a sort is the work of seconds.

I probably would have powered through for most of the 2.5 hrs (I appreciate you can’t do that), doing as much as I could in the time - hoover throughout, wash on and then out, clean kitchen surfaces and bathroom/loos, empty bins etc. Then I would flop with a cup of coffee at the kitchen table and do the paperwork!

I would say, though, that we put things away as we go, so we don't have to spend time "tidying away things that have been left out". ALL of the people in your household (a 6 year old is plenty old enough) should be putting things away once they've finished with them. Its much easier to clean a tidy house.

Also, I think the way you are doing things might be inefficient. Ironing just one brownie uniform? Why not do all the ironing one evening? It probably took as long to get the iron and board out as it did to do the ironing itself.

Handwashing (which I wouldn't do anyway) one 6 year old's dance kit? Do all the handwashing together as one load, rather than one or two bits at a time (and better still bung it in the delicates cycle in the machine).

Hoovering 2 rooms? Get the hoover out and do the whole house in one go etc etc

I would consider a 5 minute walk to the shop to be the break tbh. But I guess it's different if you find this tiring (in which case I would delegate the task to DH!).

I have to ask- does it matter how long it would take anyone else? It’s your house, you’re the one doing the work, so it’s entirely up to you how long you take to do it. You’re not in competition with anyone, no one will come in and hand you a certificate for efficiency. Take as long as you need to take and take as many breaks as you want (whether you need them or not).

I would never waste a 2.5 hour chunk of childfree time doing housework. The moment they left the house, I would have had my feet up with a cup of tea, cake and a book or the TV on.

I prefer to do housework in 10-15 minute chunks throughout the day on a 'needs must' basis. I do 20 minutes every morning after waking up (around 6am) as that's when I'm most energised, then I only do chores through the day while waiting for the kitchen to boil (downstairs) or while my DC is in the bath (upstairs). I don't do housework at any other time.

Sorry, that's not the question you were asking . I think you did fine for the time. You're not on the clock or anything and it's your weekend too. In your shoes, I would lower my standards. Does it matter if the hoovering doesn't get done for a few days? You'll just have to do it again soon anyway.

OP come and take a look at the adhd & disorganised housekeepers thread some of us struggle with the transition between tasks, or with knowing what to prioritise. The super- efficient/ power through it advice doesn’t work for everyone.

I wouldn’t iron the uniform, and the dance gear would have gone on the hand wash machine cycle.

I NEVER handwash anything.

I'd take about the same amount of time. Just getting the ironing board out and clearing a space for it would take a while.
I struggle with memory and find little breaks help me get my bearings.

Ah hour tops here. Prob more like 45 mins

If you really need to hand wash then treat yourself to a bottle of Eucalan. It costs a bit but you don’t use much. You put it in a bowl with the water, add the hand washing, swish it about a bit, leave for 15 minutes, or longer if you forget, then squeeze out the water and hang up to dry. No rinsing. Yay! I do machine wash most things, including cashmere , but some things I darent risk so out comes the Eucalan.

It would've taken me 30-45mins. No break! In 2.5hrs, I would've cleaned kitchen, hoovered and dusted hallway, bathroom and sitting room. Washed the hallway, bathroom and kitchen floor.
Dusted the sitting room and hoovered inside and under the sofa and the carpet and then hoovered the bedrooms aswell as having put on 2 loads of washing.

Just seen that you have a chronic illness, therefore Its understandable that you can't move as fast/need the breaks.

If my partner took our child out for the afternoon on a weekend I'd make sure I did something enjoyable. It's so important to look after yourself and have time out! I might empty the dishwasher and clean the bathroom then I'd be out for a lovely long walk or lunch with a friend etc.

Your house doesn't have to be perfect and I think your DH needs to pitch in more or you get a cleaner for a couple of hours a week.

Tell DH we need milk , please bring some when you return
Put laundry on while you run hoover round (how big IS your bathroom ???) 10 mins max then 10 mins to sort paperwork, 5 to iron uniform, 5 to handwash dance outfit.

30 mins max.

FGS; every night before bed time, SOMEONE puts on a load of laundry to run overnight. Trust me, all men and teenagers can do this.

DH's xmas present this year, will be a recipe book of one-pot meals.

DH learns to iron his own shirts plus the brownie uniform.

Working from home should not stop ordinary everyday life to stop. I get that it is income but other than lockdown it is a choice. Stop tip toeing and do more when he is working at your pace you will get loads more done.